Camp Australia fined three times over wandering children in Safety Bay, Banksia Grove and Coolbinia

A three-year-old wandered from an out-of-school care program in Safety Bay without supervisors noticing — until the child was found on a nearby road. It happened on a hot summer day last February, when the temperature rose to 36C and the child should have been under the supervision of Camp Australia at Makybe Rise Primary School. That was one of three separate wander-offs last summer at Camp Australia-run facilities across Perth that were investigated by the Department of Communities. The OSHC provider has been ordered to pay more than $67,000 in total for offences relating to inadequate supervision of a child, including $18,500 for the incident in Safety Bay. In January, a four-year-old was able to leave unsupervised from a program at Coolbinia Primary School. And in December, two five-year-olds were found unsupervised about 600m away from Camp Australia’s program at Grandis Primary School in the northern suburb of Banksia Grove. Camp Australia was fined $14,000 and $16,000 respectively for those two incidents and was also slapped with a bill for $4000 towards the department’s legal costs. A spokesperson said the safety and security of children was Camp Australia’s top priority and that WA employees had undergone additional child supervision training in 2023. “All our education team members undertake ongoing training and professional development, including annual child protection training,” they said. “Camp Australia apologises sincerely to the communities concerned and affirms its commitment to continuous improvement and ensuring a safe, nurturing environment for all children.”